Welcome to Asthma Week

Let’s get started.

It’s Asthma Week (1-7 September), and Asthma Australia is here to help Australians with asthma and hay fever through pollen season. We’ve partnered up with experts in their respective fields to put together helpful and practical information for each day so you can breathe easier this spring.

We know that pollen is a very common trigger for asthma and hay fever, so pollen season can be a miserable time for many. In September, we see hospitalisations peak again after flu season. Red itchy eyes, sniffly nose, interrupted sleep, an embarrassingly large pile of used tissues on the bedside table (or is that just me?). Sound familiar?

If you’re finding it hard to breathe in spring, it might be asthma in disguise.

What you need to know is: hay fever symptoms are closely related to asthma. Asthma symptoms can be disguised by other symptoms and will flare-up when hay fever isn’t well managed. Around 80% of people with asthma also have hay fever, so you’re not alone (and you can always give us a call).

People with asthma who have hay fever experience:

More asthma flare-ups

More visits to their GP

More asthma-related hospitalisations

More time off work and school (and not the holiday kind!)

Higher annual medical costs

But don’t worry, we are here to reduce the risk of this happening to you.

What should I keep an eye out for?

Keep an eye out for some of the most common symptoms of hay fever (you don’t need to have all of them):

Itchy, runny or blocked nose

Itchy or watery eyes

Sneezing

Always feeling like you have a head cold

Blocked nose

Throat clearing or coughing to clear the throat

Snoring

Mouth breathing

What can I do to manage my asthma and hay fever?

Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to manage your asthma and hay fever this spring!

We know the most important approach to managing and preventing asthma symptoms during spring involves using an appropriate inhaled preventer medicine. Asthma preventer medicines need to be used for around two to three weeks before they are effective at preventing symptoms and reducing sensitivity to triggers like pollen. So, if you aren’t already using one, the time to start is now. If prescribed a preventer, it needs to be used daily, and as prescribed, to maintain the anti-inflammatory benefit.